Grammy Award-winning singer Patti Austin is set to teach at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, serving as the school’s artist-in-residence for its Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance program.

Los Angeles, CA, USA – March 18th, 2013

Patti Austin is set to teach at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music as the school’s artist-in-residence for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance program this fall. The program, named after the late jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, is a two-year graduate level full-scholarship program which allows an ensemble of gifted young jazz musicians to study under the tutelage of visiting performance artists.

Patti Austin is best known for her jazz performances and R&B hits such as In My Life, If I Believed and her duets with James Ingram, Baby Come to Me and How Do You Keep the Music Playing. But her most important contribution to the music industry may just prove to be her efforts in mentoring other artists through the non-profit Over My Shoulder Foundation — an organization that aims to break down barriers between generations and cultures to allow for self-empowerment and the transference of knowledge across the disciplines of music and design—a method which the foundation aptly calls Mentorology.

Patti co-founded the Over My Shoulder Foundation with close friend, songwriter and stone designer Dawn Carroll, a testament to their growing passion for Mentorology or the art and science of mentoring people who need a helping hand to achieve their dreams. Patti articulates the role mentoring played in her personal and professional life, first by her parents and most notably the close guidance of her godparents, Grammy multi-award winner Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington.

“For me, music is the strongest door opener to the hearts and minds of the people. I want to use recorded music, videos, concerts and social networking as the ‘stimulus package’ to re-energize the focus on forward thinking approaches to education as the key factor in eradicating poverty for the coming generation,” said Patti. “Learning should never stop for all age groups. We can empower millions to realize the opportunity to help shape a new society of creative ‘mentorologists’ in all areas of life.”

Through the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance program, a two-year graduate level scholarship program led by jazz artists Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, Austin will be able to share her expertise which transcends every musical genre. Sitting down with the students from April 1-3, she will listen to the students play and discuss technical issues such as sound, time, articulation, along with the nuts-and-bolts of their improvisation.

Patti’s mentees are all praise about her. “I’m beginning to live my anticipated dream and I look back on my young life and know that without the mentorship of Patti Austin my fire could have gone out,” remarked Santana Roberts. “Alongside my mom, I want to thank Ms. Austin for being my source of inspiration and continuing to believe in me.”

About Patti Austin
Grammy winner Patti Austin crosses all musical genres, has made 17 solo albums, and has performed her award-nominated hit songs on the GRAMMYS® and the Oscars. As a performer, songwriter and vocalist she has had a star-studded career that began at the age of four, making her one of the most beloved artists the world over and a mainstay on the Billboard Jazz Albums charts. Patti’s extraordinary career continues to cross over boundaries and reach new heights. More information about Patti Austin can be seen on her official website, www.pattiaustin.com.

About Over My Shoulder Foundation
The Over My Shoulder Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Patti Austin and Dawn Carroll to promote mentoring and Mentorology through music and design. OMSF hails Mentorology, the art and science of mentoring, as the number-one priority as they move forward producing live events which bring together industry leaders in order to pay tribute to great mentors and put the spotlight on the importance of mentoring. OMSF started with a song called “Over My Shoulder,” with lyrics written by Dawn as a duet performed by legendary Patti Austin and one of her mentees, Lianna Gutierrez.